Art of distilling oils



April 23, 1929; E, M, CLARK ET AL 1,110,404-

' ART OF DI-STILLING OILS Filed Dec. 24 19 20 2 Sheets-Shem 1 2a Z9 25 V25' ,50

April 23, 1929. E, CLARK ET A 1,710,404

ART OF DISTILLING OILS Filed Dec. 24- 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 71222 ward,

stills such as is shown in Fig. 1.

Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

I STATES mam rrsnr orries.

EDGAR M. CLARK, on NEW YORK, N. Y., AND FRANK A. nowann, or ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, assrenons ro STANDARD OIL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, a. CORPO- RATIO'N OF DELAWARE.

ART OF DISTILLING- OILS Application filed December 24, 1920. Serial No. 432,897.

The present invention relates tothe distillation of hydrocarbon oils, and more particularly to the pressure distillation of such oils of higher boiling point for their pyrogenetic conversion into lower boiling point oils. It will be fully understood from the following description of a specific embodiment thereof, which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partially in section, of a still suitable for carrying out the present invention and its associated dephlegmating apparatus; and 1 .Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of a battery of teterring more particularly tot-he drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a bulk supply container for the oil being distilled, this container having suitably the form of a horizontal cylindrical drum or shell. This drum is mounted upon a suitable furnace setting 6, and the pipes or legs 7 and 8 depend vertically from'point near its ends. The legs 7 and 8 communicate with-headers 9 and 10, respectively, and as the leg 7 is longer than the leg 8, the header 9 is lower in position than the header 10. Rowsor banks of upwardly inclined tubes 11, 11 connect the headers 9 and 10, these tubes being exposed to the direct heat of the combustion gases of the furnace. A. deck 12 over the tubes protects the drum 5 from the direct heat of the furnace. The drum 5 is provided with the usual manholes, liquid level and pressure gages. f I

The vapers evolved in drum. 5 pass out through the vaporpipe 13 into the vapor space 14: provided in a drum 15 near one end at the latter. The drum 15, which is suitably of approximately the same size as the drum. 5, maybe or-the horizontal cylindrical type, and may be supported upon the drum 5 at one end by the vapor pipe 13 and at the other by a roller 16 which rests upon the drum 5 and with which the drum 15 has a rolling contact. The drum 15, which is of the type of liquid condenser more fully described in the patent of one of us, No. 1,405,286 granted, January 31st, 1922, is provided with a vertical partition 17 which divides it into a gas or vapor space 14, and a liquid chamber 18. A. dam 19 extends transversely across the vapor space between the partition 17 and the opening of the vapor pipe 13 into said vapor space. This dam 19 extends up to Within a short distance of the top of the drum 15. An overflow pipe 20, which-passes through the partition 17 and opens into the liquid space 18, passes thru the vapor space 14 and downwardly thru the vapor pipe 13 into the drum 5, where it opens slightly above the top of the leg 7 i i which communicates with the lower header 9. A- low dam 21 extends across the drum 5 in front of the opening of the leg 7, thereby causing the reflux and thefeed stock which enters thru the pipe 20 to pass substantially directly downward into the leg 7. 1n the drum 15 distributing pipes 22, 22 which open at one end into the vapor space 14 behind the dam 19, extend into the liquid space 18 near the bottom of the drum, and are provided with numerous openings for the admission of vapors into the liquid contained in the liquid space. provided with suitable manholes and liquid and pressure gages. A small pipe 23, provided with a check valve and located in the vapor space above the desired. liquid level vapor space incompartment 18 to be relieved into compartment 14.

Vapors evolved in the chamber 18 of drum 15 pass out thru a vapor pipe 24 into a'drum The drum 15 is 25 of construction similarto that of drum 15. The drum. 25 is divided transversely into a vapor compartment 26 and a liquid compartment 27 by partition 28, the vapor pipe 24 opening into the vapor chamber 26. A dam 29 in the vapor chamber 26 extends transversely of the drum between the opening of the vapor pipe 24: and the partition 28 and an overflow pipe 30 conducts the overflow of liquid from, the chamber 27 down thruthe vapor pipe 24 into the lower portion of the chamber 18 of drum 15. A vapor distributing pipe 32, which opens into the vapor space 28 back of the dam 29, extends longitudinally into the liquid space 27 near its bottom. Vapors escaping from the drum 25 pass out thru the vapor line 31 to suitable condensers (not shown). It is readily apparent that the drum"5 and each of the drums 15 and 25 may be lagged to prevent heat radiation, if desired,

1n operating a still system of the character above described, the still is charged with a suitable stock, say a gas oiltdistillate) having a gravity of about 32 Baum and a boiling point of, say, 450 F., and is first heated under atmospheric pressure suffi-' ciently to remove. water vapor, etc. Pressure of say, 4 to 0 atmospheres, is then applied upon the system by any suitable means- (not shown) controlling or connected to the vapor .line 31 and the still is fired until cracking distillation begins, from which time the firing is controlled to maintain such distillation. A suitable charge for a still of the type-described is about 13,000 gallons. The liquid compartment 18 of the drum may have previously been-filled with oil of the character of the charging stock or preferably a stock of somewhat lower boiling point, or alternatively, it may be filled during the distillation operationby condensate froln the vapors. issuing from the drum 5. The liquid spacev in the drum orcondenser '25 may be filled in either of these manners.

The liquid in each of these dru s becomes heated by the passage of vapors therethru, which vapors are partially condensed, causing an overflow of liquid in the one case from the liquid compartment 27 of drum into the liquid compartment 18 in drum 15, and' effected in the still,'a hydrocarbon oil which may be of the same character as the stock charged into the still or may preferably be of a somewhat lower boiling point, and which is known as feed stock, is fed into the liquid'chamber in the top drum where it blends with the oil there present and results in an increased overflow of oil to the liquid space in the lower drum and conveyer into the still sufiicient to'maintain substantially a constant level in the still during distillation. If desired, shortly before the distillationperiod terminates, the flow of feed stock may be stopped and the level of oil in the drum 15 permitted tobecome lower.

In operating a battery of stills, each of the character of that above described, the control of the termpcratures in the liquid chambers in the drums 15 and 25 may be effected and at the same time the stock utilized for charging the stills and for feeding thereto during distillation may be preheated in the following manner:

Two mains or lines 33 and 34 are pro- 'vided for the charging stock initially fed into the still, the former containing cold charging stock and the latter hot. From the cold charging stock lines 33, coils or loops 35 extend into the liquid chamber 18 in the .drum 15, these being connected by a return pipe to'the hot charging stock line 34. The coils-35 are preferably arranged in the liquid compartment 18 slightly below the levelof liquid therein, so that a thermocyclic circulation within the liquid itself may be established by the cooling eifect of the charg- .cold charging stock lines 33 and the hot charging stock lines 34 are connected by valved pipes 37 and 38 respectively, to the pipe 39 entering the still drum 5, thru which charging stock is'admitted when the still is charged. If desired a suitable reservoir (lagged, if desired) may be connected to the hot charging stock line 34 in order that the heated charging stock may accumulate for feeding into the tills.

Two mains or lines 40 and 41 are provided for the feed stock, the former for the cold feedstock and the latter for the heated feed stock. Oil flows from the cold feed stock line 40 thru suitable coils 42 located in the liquid space of drum 25 in the same manner as the coils 35 are located in the liquid space of drum 15, and the oil returns fromsaid coil to the hot feed stock line 41. A valve 43 controls the flow-of oil thru the coils 42. The

feed stock lines 40 and 41 communicate thru valved pipes 44 and 45 respectively with the pipe 46, thru which feedstock enters the liquid space in the drum 25. On consideration of'Fig. 2 it will be noted that a coil is provided in each of the condenser drums of a battery in the same manner as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 for a single set of apparatus. The flow of oil thru the feed stock heating coil andthe upper drum 25 is controlled to maintain the desired temperature, for example 590 F., in the liquid space of the still 25.

The pressure upon the various stills may be separately maintained, if desired. It is preferred, however, that it be controlled so as to be uniform throughout the battery, for example, as illustrated in the prior patent to one of us, No. 1,129,034 of Februarylti, 1915.

Altho the present invention has been described in connection with specific details of a method and apparatus for carrying out the same, it is not intended that these details shall be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention, except in so far as included in the following claims:

Weclaim: v 1. The process of pressure 011 distlllation which consists in maintaining, in a distilling system a body of oil under pressure and at a temperature suitable for efiecting dist llation thereof, passing the evolved vapors through a body of oil, thereby heating the oil and condensing a part of the vapors, refluxe ing the heated oil. and condensate from the second body of oil, flowing a stream of oil in indirect heat conductive contact with said second body' ofoil, thereby heating the stream and cooling the body of oil, and feed ing the heated oil from the stream into the second body of oil. v y I 2. The process of pressure oil dlstillatlo'n oil in indirect heat conductive contact with the second body of oil, thereby heating the stream and cooling the body of oil, controlling the flow of the stream ofoil to maintain a determined temperature of the oil,

and feeding the heated oil from the stream into the second body of oi'lu v I I 3. The process of pressure oil distillation which. consists in maintaininga plurality of bodies of oil under pressure and at a temperature suitable for effecting distillation thereof, passing the evolved vapors from said bodies of oil through corresponding separate bodies of oil, thereby heating the latter and condensing part of the, vapors, passing streams of oil through the last mentioned bodies of oil in indirect heat conductive contact therewitln whereby the bodies of oil are cooled and the streams of oil are heated, col-' lecting the heated oil' from a plurality of such streams, and utilizing said heated 011 as a charge for further distillation.

4. The process of pressure oil distillation which consists in maintaining-a plurality of bodies of oil under pressure'and at a temperature suitable for effecting distillation thereof, passingthe evolved vapors from said bodies of oil through corresponding separate bodies of oil, thereby heating the latter and condensing part of the vapors, passing streams of oil through the last mentioned bodies of oil inindirect heatconductive contact therewith, whereby the bodies of oil are cooled and the streams of oil are heated, controlling the rate of flow of said streams to control the temperature of said bodies of oil, collecting the heated oil'trom a plurality of such streams, and utilizmg said heated oil as a charge for further dlstillation.

' 5. The process of-pressure 011. distillation which consists in maintaining a plurality of distilling bodies of oil under pressure and at a temperature suitable for eifecting distillation thereof, passing the evolved vapors from said bodies of oil through corresponding separate bodies of oil, thereby heating the latter and condensing part ofthe vapors,

passing streams of oil, thru the last mentioned bodies of oil in indirect heat conductive contact therewith, whereby the bodies of oil are cooled and the streams of oil are heated, introducing oil from the heated streams into the said oil bodies and returning oil from'the said oil bodies to the distilling bodies of oil.

6. Theprocess ot' pressure oil. distillation which consists in maintaining a plurality of distilling bodies of oil under pressure and at a temperature suitable for effecting distillation thereof, passing the evolved vapors from the distilling bodies of oil successively'through separate bodies of oil, at successively lower temperatures, whereby, 'said bodies of oil areheatcd and portions of the vapors are successively condensed, passing streams of oil in indirect heat conductive contact with those of the separate bodies of oil at higher temperatures, thereby heating :sists in subjecting a plurality of bodies'of distillate oil of about 32 B; at 4 to 6 atmos pheres pressure to a temperature suitable for the pyrogenetic distillation of gasoline therefrom, passing the vapors therefrom through bodies of oil, thereby heating the latter and condensing part of 'the vapors, flowing streams of like'oil through coils in the last mentioned bodies-of. oil and controlling said streams to maintain the bodies of oil at about.

650 F., collecting the oil from said streams and utilizing it as charging stock, passing the vapors from the last mentioned bodies of oil thru additional bodies of oil, thereby heating the latter and condensing a further portion of the vapors, flowing oil of lower specific gravity through coils in the lastmentioned bodies of oil and controlling said streams to maintain said bodies of oil at about 590 F. and feeding the heated oil from said streams into the distilling system during distillation.

8. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils, comprising subjecting oil to a conversion temperature under pressure in a heating zone, passing thevapors evolved through a fractionating system wherein refie'x condensate collects in a 001, the vapors passing through said poo, circulating fresh oil through closed passages in contact with said pool of condensate, thereby preheating the fresh oil, and forcing preheated oil and con- ,the still into the liquid in said reservoir, thereby heating the liquid, means for returning excess liquid from said reservoir to the still, a coil within the liquid body in the reservoir, means for introducing liquid into tliecoil and means for. withdrawing 1t therefrom, the liquid being thereby heated, and means for introducing the heated liquid from the coil into the still.

10. In distilling apparatus, a heated still, a liquid reservoir communicating with the still and containing a body of liquid, means for conducting evolvedheated vapors from .the still into the liquid in said reservoir,

thereby heating the liquid, means for returning excess liquid from said reservoir to the still, a coil Within the liquid body in'the reservoir, means for introducing liquid into the coil and means for withdrawing it th' refrom, the liquid being heated, and conduits for introducing the heated liquid from the coil, into the liquid body in the reservoir.

11. In distill ng apparatus, a plurality of heated stills, liquid reservoirs communieating with each of said stills, each reservoir containing a body of liquid, means forconducting vapors from the stills into the liquid bodies in the respective reservoirs, means for returning excess liquid from each of said reservoirsto the respective stills, coils within the liquid bodies in the reservoirs, conduits conduits into the still.

12. Indistilling apparatus, a plurality of stills, a liquid reservolr communicating with each of said stills, the said reservoirs containing bodies of liquid, means for conductingvapors from the stills into said liquid bodies and means for conducting excess liquids from said liquid bodies into the stills, coils within the liquid bodies in the reservoirs, conduits for introducing liquidinto the coils, conduits for withdrawing liquid from the coils, manifolds for each set of conduits, conduits for introducing-oil from each of said manifolds into the several stills, control valves for said conduits, secondary liquid reservoirs communicating with each of the first-mentioned liquid reservoirs, a body of liquid in each of said reservoirs,

means for conducting vapors from said firstmentioned liquid reservoirs into the liquid bodies in the secondary liquid reservoirs, and means for conducting excess liquid from the secondary liquid "reservoirs to the respective stills, coils in the liquid bodies in the secondary reservoirs, conduits for introducing liquid into said coils, conduits for withdrawing liquid from said coils,.manifolds for each set of conduits, conduits for conducting liquid'from each of said manifolds into the vapor systems of the stills and. control valves for the last named conuits.

EDGAR M. CLARK. FRANK A. HOWARD. 

